Management of outdoor straw pads

Further information on pad design for feed, water and bedding management.  

• Feeding off-pad reduces dung and urine input to the pad and minimises the formation of a very soiled region near the feeding area
• Where the water trough is located on the pad, the area around it must be kept clean and dry
• With an uncovered feed space, on a very wet day, it is advisable to feed out more often, to prevent large amounts of feed from being wasted
• Aim for a minimum depth of bedding of 30 cm at the start of stocking – additional straw should be added regularly to keep the surface clean and dry
• Stocking rates depend on the livestock category and whether feeding is on or off-pad. Feeding on-pad increases the loading of excreta, so a greater area per animal is required
• In very hot weather, feed intake may drop due to heat stress. In these situations, it is vital to provide plentiful clean water and keep feed fresh
• Keeping cattle outside can reduce respiratory problems as long as the pad surface remains clean and dry
• Beware, animals standing in wet manure for long periods can develop digital dermatitis and heel erosion
• Straw pads typically need clearing out every four to six months, by which point the bedding layer may be up to 1 m deep

Cattle may be fed either on or off the pad. Feeding off the pad can be achieved by installing a concrete or hardcore feeding stance next to the pad, giving access to a feed barrier. This allows cattle some hardstanding when feeding, reduces dung and urine input to the pad and minimises the formation of a very soiled region on the pad near the feeding area.

Where feeding off-pad, the feed stance should be designed to allow regular scraping (two to three times a week). The feed stance should be long enough to accommodate all the cattle feeding at one time. It should be wide enough to allow the whole animal to stand on it whilst feeding without fouling the pad area behind it, approximately 3.5–4.5 m. A kerb on both sides of the feed stance allows it to be scraped regularly, without spreading the slurry back onto the pad or towards the feed.

Free and rapid access to the feed and water areas are best practice, rather than through a gate or narrow ramp. If there is restricted access to the feed or water area, this will need careful management to avoid it becoming a hotspot for worse dung accumulation. It might need greater frequency/quantity of bedding added and removal of heavily soiled bedding.

Where the feed stance runs along one side of the straw pad, a step up to it will help management. After four to five months of regular straw additions, the depth of bedding is typically greater than 70 cm. Where the feed stance is level with the base of the pad, this may result in a slope down to the feed stance, making it difficult to keep it clear of bedding.

Where the cattle are fed on-pad, the feed area must be managed carefully to avoid it becoming a hotspot area for dung accumulation. The feed area will require a greater quantity and frequency of bedding addition to keep it clean and dry. It may be necessary to remove heavily soiled bedding from this area and replace it with fresh bedding. Similarly, where the water trough is located on the pad, the area around it must be managed to keep it clean and dry.

The design of the straw pad should also consider how the feed is presented to the cattle. For example, the outdoor system would not be suited to intensively finished cattle on ad-lib cereals unless the feed was kept dry in watertight hoppers.

Uncovered feed space will incur more wastage than on an indoor system due to the weather. Rationing needs to balance this. On a very wet day, it is advisable to feed out more often, to prevent large amounts of feed from becoming wet and wasted. Wet feed that has been lying out may reduce feed intake and liveweight gain in finishing cattle.

All cattle must maintain a constant body temperature. When they are outwintered on straw pads, they may need to generate more heat to achieve this. The amount of additional energy cattle require on straw pads depends on:

• Animal size: smaller cattle have a greater surface area in relation to their liveweight than larger cattle, so they lose heat faster
• Hide thickness: dairy cross beef cattle have thinner hides and therefore have poorer insulation than pure beef breeds
• Coat condition and thickness: the depth of an animal’s coat will also affect heat loss, as will their condition – dirty, wet coats reduce insulation
• Body condition of cattle: thin cattle have poorer insulation than fatter cattle
• The weather: temperature, rain, wind and sun exposure all affect cattle energy requirements
• Growing cattle: fast growth rates require higher energy intake, but the animals give off more heat, so there is less effect of cold stress

In very hot weather, feed intake may drop due to heat stress. In these situations, it is vital to provide plentiful clean water. Keeping feed fresh and appetising will also help optimise feed intakes.

Keeping cattle outside can reduce the risk of respiratory problems. However, it is important for optimum health and welfare to manage the pad so the surface remains clean and dry. Do not allow hotspot areas of greater dung accumulation to develop, particularly around the feed or water areas. Animals standing in wet manure for long periods can develop digital dermatitis and heel erosion.

Energy requirements of spring-calving beef suckler cows (650 kg) in good condition (BCS 3), two to three months from calving, under different climatic situations (all at 5°C) needed to maintain cow condition at the same level as that of housed cows fed 80 MJ ME/day

Key

A. Housed on straw bedding.

B. Out on a dry, calm day with coats clean and dry.

C. Out on a wet, calm day with coats wet and matted.

D. Out on a dry but windy day (20mph).

E. Out on a wet and windy day (>20mph).

F. Out on a wet and windy day with coats covered in mud.

G. Thin cows (BCS 1.5) out on a wet and windy day, with coats covered in mud.

Bedding recommendations are based on the quantity of straw required to absorb the liquid input of excreta and rainfall to the pad. As well as rainfall levels, this depends on livestock type and whether cattle are fed on or off the pad.

Where straw pads are used throughout the year, bedding use in the summer is likely to be lower, reflecting the higher summer evaporative losses. Most straw pads are located in the drier eastern counties.

Straw bedding requirements (tonnes of straw/animal/month) based on average monthly rainfall of 55 mm (equivalent to 660 mm per year)

1. For cattle fed off-pad, the stocking rate excludes the hard feed area.

Straw bedding requirements (tonnes of straw/animal/month) based on average monthly rainfall of 75 mm (equivalent to 900 mm/year)

1. For cattle fed off-pad, the stocking rate excludes the hard feed area.

These recommendations should be combined with a visual inspection of the pad. Additional straw should be added as required. This should keep the surface of the pad clean and dry and ensure there is no ‘pooling’ of liquid on the surface or any seepage of effluent from the pad.

It is also important to consider the timing of bedding application to ensure sufficient bedding is added early in the stocking period so that the straw pad can absorb the effluent produced following short periods of heavy rainfall. Farmers should aim for a minimum depth of bedding of 30 cm at the start of stocking. Additional straw should be added regularly to keep the surface of the pad clean and dry. During wet periods this would typically be every one to two days. In dry periods this may be once a week.

These bedding requirements are based on a typical absorbency value for cereal straw of 300%. Other bedding material may have lower or higher absorbency values, which will affect the quantity of bedding that needs to be used. Data from AHDB Beef & Lamb research indicated that old/weathered straw typically had an absorbency of around 230%, and waste wood shavings had an absorbency of around 110%.

Stocking rates depend on the livestock category and whether feeding is on or off the pad. Research in the UK on woodchip pads has shown that increasing the area allowance per animal is associated with faster growth rates in cattle weighing between 470–670 kg. Increasing the area allowance from 11.8 m² /animal to 14 m² /animal increased the daily liveweight gain from 1.20 to 1.39 kg/head/day.

Suggested minimum on-pad space allowances for animals on straw pads

Straw pads typically need clearing out every four to six months, by which point the bedding layer may be up to 1 m deep. The soiled straw bedding should be cleared from the pad and managed as farmyard manure (FYM).

If the straw pad is lined with effluent collection, care should be taken when removing the soiled straw bedding not to damage the drainage system.

The total fresh weight of soiled bedding produced is likely to be between four and four and a half times the initial weight of straw added to the pads. The soiled bedding can be stacked in heaps prior to land spreading, either on concrete pads with effluent collection or in field heaps. Field heaps in NVZs must not be located:

• Within 10 m of surface water, including ditches, or of a land drain
• Within 30 m of surface water, including ditches, if the land slopes steeply, e.g. more than 12°
• Within 50 m of a spring, well or borehole
• On land likely to flood or become waterlogged

The soiled straw bedding is likely to have a lower total nutrient nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium concentration than typical cattle FYM. This reflects the higher proportion of bedding to excreta on the outdoor straw pads, compared to typical bedding use in a building. Where possible, samples of the soiled bedding should be analysed for dry matter, total nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and ammonia-nitrate (NH4-N) before spreading. Guidance on sampling solid manures for analysis can be found in Nutrient Management Guide (RB209) Section 2 Organic materials  or see the page on using farmyard manure. 

If you would like to order a hard copy of Using brassicas for Better Returns please contact publications@ahdb.org.uk or call 0247 799 0069.